TMZ Hip Hop - Page 50

Drake is drawing more fans to a basketball court these days than his beloved Toronto Raptors, and he's just playing a pickup game ... in Barbados!!!

Drizzy got his entourage together and flew his private jumbo jet down to his ex, Rihanna's home turf -- and decided to get in a little outdoor hoops. No small feat on a July day in the tropics!

Champagne Papi slipped on some Nike gear -- sneakers, socks, shorts, jersey, headband -- and showed off his sweet jump shot ... but as the crowd continued growing, Drake paused the game and donned a face mask while snapping pics with locals.

He's easily the biggest draw on Barbados -- far as we know Rihanna's not down there -- and unlike the NBA's restart in its Disney bubble in Florida, Drake put some butts in the seats!!!

Dude's got game too ... looks like Drake's been practicing on his insane home indoor basketball court.

Check ball!!!

Kanye West has a snowball's chance in hell to win the presidency, because his first poll numbers suck ... but he could definitely play spoiler -- question is, for whom?

Redfield & Wilton Strategies -- a consulting firm that does polling and market research -- released results from a poll it did last week ... and when Ye's included as one of the candidates, he only clocked in at 2%. That's out of 2,000 people polled.

Granted, the other third-party candidates from the Libertarian and Green Parties aren't polling much higher than he was either -- both also hit the 2% and 1% each, respectively.

Now, here's the really interesting thing -- while you'd think the rapper and producer getting in the race might hurt Joe Biden (that's how Chance the Rapper and others see it) ... it didn't. In fact, it actually hurt Trump!

According to R&WS, the sitting Prez got dinged, going from 40% to 39% when Kanye is factored into the race. Biden stays firmly in the lead in either scenario, sitting pretty at 48%.

The prevailing thought is Kanye would splinter the Democratic vote -- especially young and black voters -- and possibly sabotage Biden in the process.

Still, let's all chill when it comes to polls ... especially this early in the campaign. Just ask Hillary Clinton about those 2016 numbers.

Tory Lanez got busted after an alleged argument outside a house party led to cops finding a gun in his car, and Megan Thee Stallion was there too ... this according to law enforcement.

We've learned police got a call of a disturbance outside a Hollywood Hills residence around 4:30 AM Sunday. When officers arrived, we're told witnesses reported people were arguing in an SUV before someone fired shots in the air ... and the vehicle took off.

Our law enforcement sources say cops got a description of the SUV and located it shortly afterward, and found the rappers inside along with another woman.

We're told Meg had a cut on her foot believed to be from broken glass on the floor of the vehicle, and when cops searched it ... they found a gun.

Our sources say Lanez was taken to jail and booked for carrying a concealed weapon in a vehicle ... a felony.

It's interesting ... earlier on Saturday night, Megan and Tory appeared together on her Instagram Live with Kylie Jenner -- at what appears to be a pool party at Kylie's Holmby Hills pad.

The reported gunshots were allegedly fired several miles away in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood.

The 2 men and 2 teens who allegedly killed Pop Smoke have been slapped with murder charges, and while the death penalty is in play ... prosecutors haven't decided yet to seek it.

The L.A. County District Attorney's Office announced criminal charges against 19-year-old Corey Walker and 18-year-old Keandre Rodgers, who were each charged with murder with special circumstance allegations that the killing went down during the commission of a robbery and burglary.

With the special circumstances, the death penalty is on the table. The D.A.'s Office adds that gang and gun allegations were made in their complaint as well.

On top of those two, a separate pair of teenagers -- the youngest being 15 and the oldest 17 -- were also charged with one count of murder and robbery in juvenile court. Their names weren't released, as they're still minors.

We broke the story ... Pop Smoke was shot and killed back in February by 4 masked gunmen after what appeared to be a home invasion robbery at his home Hollywood Hills home.

Even though the D.A.'s Office says they haven't decided on whether to pursue capital punishment yet, both adult men face still face life in prison if convicted.

6ix9ine's time on home confinement is almost up, and while fans are probably expecting some of his classic antics ... he claims he'll be cautious and motivated by one thing -- making music.

The rapper will be a relatively free man on or about August 1, when his house arrest ends, after getting out of prison back in April due to the pandemic.

He'll still be on supervised release for 5 years, but free to go out and about on his own, which raises the obvious concern ... whether or not he can stay out of trouble.

Tekashi's attorney, Lance Lazzaro, tells TMZ ... his client's not thinking like that -- he's focused on work, security and elevating his music career. The "Trollz" rapper will need permission from the judge to leave the Southern and Eastern Districts of NY, but Lazzaro says that shouldn't be an issue as long as 6ix9ine proves he's leaving for legit work ... which is his plan.

Of course, going back out in public also means heightened concern about revenge for snitching. Lazzaro says 69's going to be consulting with his security team on every move and will be extra careful, even when conducting business.

Keeping a low-profile's never been Tekashi's thing, but his lawyer says that's what he intends to do. We're told he's not planning to attend any events, at least for a while. Not that there's a hell of a lot happening thanks to COVID-19.

The biggest perk of 6ix9ine's house arrest ending, according to Lazzaro, will be access to artists and execs interested in working with him ... as well as better studios for recording tracks and music vids.

Tekashi's been forced to do all of that out of his residence for the past few months -- though it's worked out very well for him.

Of course, he'll have to keep his nose clean and stay away from people with gang ties. It's a no-brainer he'll want to avoid them, but he's gotta hope they're not looking for him.

The woman Kanye West has pegged for his Vice President describes herself as a "Biblical life coach," but she also has a mental health background, and some of her past statements on the subject are ... interesting.

Michelle Tidball is the "obscure preacher from Wyoming" Kanye named as his running mate in his instantly infamous interview with Forbes, and though not too much is known about her ... here's her talking about mental illness.

TMZ obtained audio of Tidball, which has since been removed from her Yarash.org website, in which she states a key to handling mental illness ... is doing house chores.

In the clip, listed as from a Bible study session from June 2017, Tidball suggests ... "If you would get up every day and make your bed and do your dishes -- you would be better." She adds that in her 10 years working with the mentally ill ... none of them made their beds or did their dishes.

According to Tidball's bio -- which has also now been pulled from her site -- she has pursued God since she was 6 months old and was "slipping away into a crib death." She says she remembers God visiting her in the hospital and she made the decision at 17 to follow him for life.

She claims she has "various degrees in mental health and criminal justice." We've confirmed she earned a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Wyoming in 2003.

Michelle says she worked as a mental health therapist for 10 years before transitioning to life coaching to help people get "unstuck" in their lives "using biblical principals and wisdom."

According to her site, she offers life-coaching sessions for the "suggested donation" of $65 for 50 minutes.

Michelle hails from the city of Cody, which is where Kanye has spent a great deal of time the past few years ... though he made no public mention of her until the Forbes interview.

Her background in mental health is obviously interesting ... as we told you, we're told Kanye's going through a serious bipolar episode right now.

Cardi B's got babies on her mind ... and she's also seeing green, 'cause it appears she's about to dive into the baby clothing biz!!!

According to docs, obtained by TMZ ... the rapper wants to trademark her name for a new children's clothing line to make just about everything for little ones ... from bottoms, shirts and sweaters to bibs, onesies and headwear.

All would be embroidered with her name. We can see it now -- "Get these Cardi Bibs on your kid before every meal!!!"

It only makes sense for Cardi to get in the baby clothing biz. She's already proven to be a dominant player in the fashion world. You'll recall her Fashion Nova line was an instant hit. She's also, in the past, teamed up with Tom Ford and Reebok, to name a few.

But, with Cardi getting more business savvy and her daughter, Kulture, growing up so fast -- it was only a matter of time before Mama Cardi launched her own baby clothing line.

Eminem just took a shot at Drew Brees on his new song -- saying "F***" the NFL QB ... presumably over his national anthem comments.

Em and Kid Cudi just dropped the new track at midnight Friday morning called, "The Adventures Of Moon Man & Slim Shady."

Marshall Mathers begins his verse about 1:50 into the track -- and drops this nugget:

"I had hoop dreams, now I shoot 3s.
Got a lil' green, but I don't do weed.
Purp nor lean, that's Tunechi.
That's New Orleans, F*** Drew Brees."

Of course, Brees took a ton of heat for his stance on the national anthem and NFL protesters back in June -- saying, "I will never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of America."

He later apologized and said he didn't really understand what Colin Kaepernick's protest was about -- shining a spotlight on police brutality and racial injustice.

There was more in Em's new track -- he also took a shot at politicians of the way they've handled the COVID pandemic.

"Bunch of half-wits up in office.
Half of us walkin' around like a zombie apocalypse.
Other half are just pissed off and don't wanna wear a mask.
And, they're just scoffin'.
And, that's how you end catchin' the s**t off 'em.
I just used the same basket as you shoppin'.
Now I'm in a f**kin' casket from you coughing."

Pop Smoke's murder investigation just led to a slew of arrests ... TMZ has learned.

Our law enforcement sources tell us the LAPD served multiple search warrants around Los Angeles early Thursday morning, and 5 people were arrested on warrants in connection to the rapper's murder.

Sources tell us 3 adults and 2 juveniles were arrested. It's unclear what the suspects are being charged with, but we're told all 5 will be interviewed by police and then booked.

TMZ broke the story ... Pop Smoke was shot and killed by 4 masked gunmen back in February in what appeared to be a home invasion robbery at a rental pad in the Hollywood Hills.

50 Cent flew into a rage, throwing a table and chair, after getting into it with a guy he's beefed with in the past.

The incident went down Wednesday night in the patio area at the Edgewater Commons Mall in Edgewater, NJ ... where the rapper was enjoying drinks with a woman sitting on the other end of the table.

We're told at some point a man outside walked up to 50's area and exchanged words before the incident turned violent. You can see in the video Fiddy grabbed a table and launched it in the man's direction. It ended up hitting a Lexus. Fiddy then picked up a chair and tossed it at the man, who at that point had ripped off his shirt looking for a fight. The man ultimately fled, and 50 and his companion also left ... hopping into his white Rolls-Royce.

Law enforcement tells us no arrests were made and they will NOT pursue charges.

Kanye West is in the throes of a serious bipolar episode, our Kanye sources say, and those around him are concerned it has impacted his decision-making and some of the things he's said in the last week ... sources close to Kanye tell TMZ.

Our Kanye sources tell us, he suffers a serious bout with his bipolar disorder, usually once a year ... and our sources say Kanye's in the midst of one now.

As you know, Ye announced he's running for president via Twitter over the weekend, and also did a rambling interview with Forbes ... which drew harsh criticism, confusion and concern.

Our sources say his family and those close to him are worried, but they believe things will stabilize as they have in the past. The problem here, we're told -- Kanye's proclamations are causing problems.

Of course, Kanye's apparent bipolar episode hasn't kept him from garnering presidential campaign support from the likes of Elon Musk ... who hung with the rapper just days prior to his announcement.

Others are much more skeptical, and that skepticism likely grew in the wake of Kanye's wide-interview with Forbes ... in which he dumped Trump, slammed Biden, revealed he's running as part of a new party called the "Birthday Party," claimed he had COVID-19, pushed an anti-vaxx narrative and talked a lot about God.

What the interview didn't touch on, weirdly, was Kanye's mental health.

Kanye West likened Planned Parenthood to a Satanic baby-killing cult put in place by racist forces, but the org is calling BS ... saying the real threat is talk like his.

ICYMI ... Kanye tackled the issue of abortion during his Forbes interview, saying ... "Planned Parenthoods have been placed inside cities by white supremacists to do the Devil’s work."

Welp, PP's response comes from Nia Martin-Robinson ... the Director of Black Leadership and Engagement at PP's national HQ. She tells TMZ, "Black women are free to make our own decisions about our bodies and pregnancies, and want and deserve to have access to the best medical care available."

Martin-Robinson adds, "Any insinuation that abortion is Black genocide is offensive and infantilizing. The real threat to Black communities' safety, health, and lives stems from lack of access to quality, affordable health care, police violence and the criminalization of reproductive health care by anti-abortion opposition."

Of course, Ye's expressed similar sentiments before ... in regards to the so-called Plan B pill.

What's interesting here is how at odds he appears to be with his wife, Kim Kardashian, who's publicly supported Planned Parenthood in the past -- notably, in 2017.

Kanye West says he's done supporting President Trump -- but there's even more he's spilling that's just as surprising in terms of his run for the White House. Oh boy, where to begin ...

Ye sat down with Forbes in a verrrry wide-ranging interview, but primarily about his Presidential campaign ... and the would-be candidate declared he's "taking off the red hat." The only specific he offered as to why was that he doesn't like what he heard about 45 hiding in a bunker recently.

He also says, "One of the main reasons I wore the red hat as a protest to the segregation of votes in the Black community." As Kanye's stated before, he hates the fact that Democrats assume all black people have to vote for them.

He added he was down with POTUS because "I like Trump hotels and the saxophones in the lobby."

As for HIS presidential run ... he says he IS serious, and that he's got some unconventional ideas to help get him there. Buckle in, 'cause this gets weird.

He told Forbes he's running as part of a new party called the Birthday Party, because ... "[W]hen we win, it’s everybody’s birthday."

He also says he's having Elon Musk help with his campaign and is considering using him for his own space program. He's already got a VP in mind ... a Wyoming preacher -- and showing a little campaign bravado, he kinda bashed Joe Biden as "not special."

Politics aside, Kanye says he contracted the coronavirus in February -- but didn't say if he learned that from getting tested -- and sounded like quite the anti-vaxxer. He called any coronavirus vaccine "the mark of the beast."

He goes on to explain, "They want to put chips inside of us, they want to do all kinds of things, to make it where we can’t cross the gates of heaven."

One thing he didn't cover, but clearly relevant for a Presidential candidate, is his mental health. Kanye has publicly said he's been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and he's also said -- notably on "TMZ Live" in May 2018 -- he doesn't take his medication sometimes because it dulls his creativity.

Kanye West just got official approval to start building a new monster of a home on his ranch in Wyoming (the lakeside one) -- and by the sound of it, he's got a lot of work to do.

TMZ obtained the building and zone permits Ye and co. filed in Cody, Wyoming, which were just signed off on over the past couple months. According to his plans, the guy's got a 10-bedroom mansion in mind ... and then some.

Like we said, Ye's paperwork says he plans to build a single-family residence -- the primary one he'll use for him, Kim and the kids -- which will replace the set of lakeside cabins and dwellings currently there. Kanye estimates the crib will be about 52,000 sq. ft!!!

Speaking of massive square footage, he also filed docs seeking permission to build TWO underground garages at 10,000 sq. feet a pop. He got the OK on those plans as well.

On top of that, it appears Kanye plans to construct two new lake houses on top of ones that are there right now.

It's funny -- the docs say if he needs a new septic system for any of this work .. he's gotta get wastewater permits before breaking ground. Bathroom needs get special attention. 😅

Anyway, it looks like Kanye's settling in even more up there on the prairie -- but unclear if this means a full-blown, permanent move is in the stars. Probably not.

At any rate, here's hoping this construction job moves a little faster than the one undertaken at their Hidden Hills compound, which took years to complete. Good luck!

Kanye West's been having some very good days lately ... and it looks like he wants to make "West Day Ever" the next extension of his booming brand.

The apparent presidential candidate is much better at filing paperwork with the trademark office than he is with the Federal Election Commission ... because he filed docs last month to slap the 'West Day' slogan on clothing and shoes.

Ye, however, has yet to officially register to run for Prez despite his announcement over the weekend.

As for "West Day Ever" ... Kanye filed trademark docs on June 26 covering more than 100 different types of apparel -- t-shirts, hoodies, tracksuits, bomber jackets, turtlenecks, jumpsuits, g-strings, beanies, blazers, infantwear, footwear and everything in between.

The date is significant because it was the same day news broke that the rapper landed a 10-year deal with Gap to launch a new clothing line called Yeezy Gap.

That was when Kanye first tweeted the slogan, saying ... "YEEZY AND GAP FORM PARTNERSHIP #WESTDAYEVER."

He's since used the hashtag to promote the release of a shoe and new music, as well -- and it will likely be a big part of his 2020 campaign ... whenever that starts.

Of course, Kanye needs to do a lot more than just distribute some hats and shirts. He still needs to register with the FEC, present a campaign platform and collect enough signatures -- not just Elon Musk's -- to get on the November ballot.

It's happening (or so it seems) ... Kanye West is running for President, and he says he's doing it sooner than later -- as in RIGHT NOW!!! At least that's how it sounds, anyway.

Ye made the announcement out of nowhere Saturday on Twitter, saying ... "We must now realize the promise of America by trusting God, unifying our vision and building our future. I am running for president of the United States! #2020Vision"

Funny enough, he immediately got the support of one the biggest names in tech -- one Elon Musk, who replied, "You have my full support!" Interestingly, the two of them had just hung out a few days prior to Kanye's declaration ... and they seem like total besties.

Now, back to politics for a sec. It's not completely crazy that Kanye is announcing this bid for the White House -- he's publicly toyed with the idea several times in the past ... perhaps most notably at the 2015 MTV VMAs. Hell, folks thought he'd run in 2016.

Of course, since then ... Kanye has dipped his toe in and out of politics and political talk to much criticism -- and in some cases, to praise. Just depends on who you talked to. And yes, the guy's voiced his support for President Trump many times over since 2016.

If he's serious here -- and it's hard to tell if he is or not -- it would appear he's willing to go head to head with DT in a general election. We should note though, KW has NOT filed to run this year with the FEC, which is a requirement for anyone getting into the race.